EU adopts new sanctions against Russia to come into force in 'next few days'

Officials and members of the European Parliament in Brussels (AFP Photo) / AFP

A new package of sanctions against Russia has been adopted by the EU. Previous reports said the "further restrictive measures" were aimed at targeting three major oil companies, as well as the defense sector.

According to a Monday
statement by the president of the European
Council, Herman Van Rompuy, the new package was adopted through
written procedure, "deepening the targeted measures of 31
July."

"The sanctions aim at promoting a change of course in
Russia's actions destabilizing eastern Ukraine," the
statement reads.

Although it was previously reported that the new sanctions could
come into force by Tuesday, the final EU decision did not specify
the date when they will be applied, only saying it "will take
place in the next few days," leaving time "for an
assessment of the implementation of the cease-fire agreement [in
Ukraine]."

"Depending on the
situation on the ground, the EU stands ready to review the agreed
sanctions in whole or in part,"Van Rompuy'sstatement reads.

Over the weekend, some EU diplomats told Reuters that the
sanctions could be lifted if the ceasefire between the Ukrainian
government and militia forces holds. The truce was agreed last
week.

"A ceasefire must hold for sanctions to be lifted," the
agency quoted a senior EU diplomat as saying.

According to some EU representatives, the sanctions could
"even get ridden off entirely."

Despite some shooting over the weekend, "overall the
ceasefire held," an OSCE security watchdog said on Monday,
adding that "it is still shaky."

In order to be approved,
the restrictive documents needed to be signed by all 28 member
states of the European Union. There were reports that the
decision did not go through at once, and an EU ambassadors
emergency meeting had to be called, as some governments had
second thoughts on the new 'punishment' for Moscow.

"The ceasefire is an
enormous step forward and with that comes the possibility of a
political solution...There is quite a strong appetite across
Europe for saying we want a political solution here, we don't
want a ramping up of the economic pressure," British
opposition MP and peace campaigner Jeremy Corbyn told RT.